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Fantasy: 2017 Rankings - Running Backs (Updated)

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theScore's Justin Boone is coming off his fourth top-10 finish in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition.

Scroll down to see his updated rankings for 2017, including analysis below.

Standard Rankings
QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 150

Running Backs

Rk Player Team
1 David Johnson ARI
2 Le'Veon Bell PIT
3 Ezekiel Elliott DAL
4 LeSean McCoy BUF
5 Jay Ajayi MIA
6 Melvin Gordon LAC
7 Devonta Freeman ATL
8 Jordan Howard CHI
9 DeMarco Murray TEN
10 Leonard Fournette JAC
11 Lamar Miller HOU
12 Carlos Hyde SF
13 Todd Gurley LAR
14 Isaiah Crowell CLE
15 C.J. Anderson DEN
16 Spencer Ware KC
17 Ty Montgomery GB
18 Christian McCaffrey CAR
19 Eddie Lacy SEA
20 Mark Ingram NO
21 Tevin Coleman ATL
22 Paul Perkins NYG
23 Marshawn Lynch OAK
24 Joe Mixon CIN
25 Ameer Abdullah DET
26 Dalvin Cook MIN
27 Adrian Peterson NO
28 Frank Gore IND
29 Danny Woodhead BAL
30 Samaje Perine WAS
31 Bilal Powell NYJ
32 Doug Martin TB
33 Derrick Henry TEN
34 Giovani Bernard CIN
35 Theo Riddick DET
36 Matt Forte NYJ
37 Alvin Kamara NO
38 Latavius Murray MIN
39 Jonathan Stewart CAR
40 Mike Gillislee NE
41 Kenneth Dixon BAL
42 Darren Sproles PHI
43 Robert Kelley WAS
44 Kareem Hunt KC
45 Duke Johnson CLE
46 Jamaal Williams GB
47 Jeremy Hill CIN
48 Jamaal Charles DEN
49 Thomas Rawls SEA
50 Dion Lewis NE
51 Charles Sims TB
52 C.J. Prosise SEA
53 D'Onta Foreman HOU
54 T.J. Yeldon JAC
55 James White NE
56 Wendell Smallwood PHI
57 Jacquizz Rodgers TB
58 Donnel Pumphrey PHI
59 Tim Hightower SF
60 Darren McFadden DAL
61 Jerick McKinnon MIN
62 Chris Ivory JAC
63 Jalen Richard OAK
64 Terrance West BAL
65 DeAndre Washington OAK
66 Devontae Booker DEN
67 Rex Burkhead NE
68 Robert Turbin IND
69 Jeremy Langford CHI
70 James Conner PIT
71 Jeremy McNichols TB
72 Chris Thompson WAS
73 Jonathan Williams BUF
74 Shane Vereen NYG
75 Kyle Juszczyk SF
76 Marlon Mack IND
77 Charcandrick West KC
78 Andre Ellington ARI
79 Kenyan Drake MIA
80 Lance Dunbar LAR
  • While ADPs are sure to change significantly over the next few months, DeMarco Murray is being undervalued at the moment. Derrick Henry will continue to steal carries, but Murray is the workhorse in Tennessee, which he proved by ending 2016 with the fifth-most fantasy points among running backs.
  • The Jaguars have burned us several times with Toby Gerhart, T.J. Yeldon, and Chris Ivory, so why will this year be different? Improvements to the defense and the presence of a true star in the backfield. Leonard Fournette will kickstart this running game and is a low-end RB1 right out of the gate.

Related: Which rookies will emerge as stars in 2017?

  • The Packers drafted Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones in the later rounds, leaving Ty Montgomery as the starter. There's plenty of risk involved in picking Montgomery in fantasy, but any part of the Packers' offense is normally a good one.
  • The Saints' backfield is going to be difficult to decipher week to week between Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson. That's why you should target rookie Alvin Kamara, who should step in as the passing-down back and could provide sneaky RB3/Flex numbers.
  • Marshawn Lynch needs to prove he's the same player who left the NFL in 2015 before he earns a ranking in the top 20. For now, he should be viewed as a low-end RB2.
  • Paul Perkins survived the draft as the starter in the Giants' backfield. The Giants failed to address their offensive line, but Perkins is still an excellent candidate to emerge as an RB2 in fantasy.
  • The same can be said for Ameer Abdullah, who was named as the Lions' starting running back by general manger Bob Quinn.
  • Samaje Perine hasn't reached the top of the Redskins' depth chart yet, but there isn't much in his way. The fourth-round pick has an excellent chance to break out as a rookie.

Standard Rankings
QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 150

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